With the economy struggling, Chancellor Erroll Davis has asked the University to prepare plans for a possible 3.5 percent or 5 percent budget cut.

The plan submitted to the Board of Regents last week outlines how the University would make due with less in the 2009 and 2010 financial years.

Each department and budgetary unit was asked, considering its core missions, where cuts would be made if it had to cut 3.5 percent or 5 percent, Provost Arnett Mace said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

“[The process] was a bottom-up, with budgetary units providing information, then the three senior vice presidents as well as the budget office and the president made the decision relative to the information provided,” Mace said. “This is a strong university, and we have a strong faculty. I am confident we will get through these trying times.”

Although the cuts will affect departments and services across the board, Mace is most concerned with “being able to continue to provide the quality of education that we have in the past. This quality is demonstrated by the number of national awards [students] have received over the past few years.”

The budget cuts do not spare campus safety and security. With the 3.5 percent cut, the University police will be forced to remove five public safety positions, and with the 5 percent cut, 6.8 positions.

“Protecting the community is a partnership. If we sustain the cut in the maximum or in the lower level, there will be services that we will no longer be able to provide. For example, for every case there is some sort of follow-up by the Criminal Investigation Division. With the cuts, we would have to set parameters for follow-ups,” University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said. “Each shift will be cut by one or two officers. … It’s tough times. We would prefer to not have the cut, but there is not much we can do.”

The University would first cut travel funds. Although travel accounts for only one-third of a percent of the budget, the report states the funds are easily sacrificed and less essential. Cutting travel funds 27 percent would save $478,287.

According to the budget plan, to meet the 3.5 percent budget cuts, $5.4 million would have to be cut from the resident instruction budget for faculty – or 60 faculty positions – through elimination of vacant faculty lines (tenured positions), delays in filling vacancies and part-time faculty.

“The biggest impact would be academic in nature because the cuts will cause us to have fewer class sections,” said Tom Jackson, vice president for public affairs. “If we have to reduce tenure track faculty lines, we will have less-experienced faculty in the classroom, and with less class sections, students will not be able to register for classes at the times they need them. Layoffs are a last resort in this proposal.”

The report also notes that these cut may affect the reputation and standing of the University and notes “in the long term, we expect the best and brightest student may choose to leave Georgia to attend college where given the impact of these reductions on the quality of UGA’s educational programs”

The report spans 20 pages and covers many departments and services, and some cuts will affect students directly.

For example, seven advising positions would be cut in the arts and sciences at the 3.5 percent level, while 12 would be cut at the 5 percent level.

Danielle Timmons, a junior from Douglasville majoring in health promotions, said access to her advisor was instrumental while changing majors.

“An increased wait time would be difficult, having less access [to my advisor] wouldn’t help and would impact having knowledge available,” Timmons said.

The report acknowledges these cuts will have adverse effect, such as “advising delays [that] can potentially impact students’ progress towards graduation.”

The proposed budget cuts will affect more than academics, as 50 percent of tours at the University Visitors Center will be cut.

Also, many student worker positions will be partially or completely eliminated in many departments, including the University libraries.

Aaron Dennon, a student worker in a University library, said the main purpose of student workers at the library is to help patrons find and check out books and said cuts would affect service.

Dennon said he was also concerned about the financial aspect.

“It’s hard to find student jobs. I would have to find other ways to pay my bills.”

Hajime Uchiyama, a student tech consultant at the library, said the loss of his job would impact him greatly, as his job “helps to support … monthly activities and pay for tuition.”